Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-12
MEXICAN SENORITAS.
Their Education and What They Are
 Expected to Know.

Their Education and what They Are Expected to Know.
 Correspondence Philadelphia Record.l The scholastic course of a Mexican girl of aristocratic family is finished before she is fifteen, at which age she is considered | "marriageable.' The wife of General San ta Anna was welded to that willy ruler, whom Americans remember as ''the butch CT of the Alamo" when only thirteen, and numerous brides in these later days are scarcely older. It must be remembered, however, that girls mature early in the tropics, and in corresponding ratio grow old much sooner than in the colder north.
 Though Mexico abounds in single women of mature age, one never hears of "an old maid" for to remain forever unmarried .en- tails no such stigma here as attaches to unmarried females of other lands. If her lonely condition is alluded to by these po- lite people they speak of her with some kindly phrase, indicating that la pohracite (the poor dear thing) has been "hard to please"
 The custom of engaging accomplished foreign governesses or native tutors to in struct young girls at home is gaining ground among wealthy families in Mexico, because to send a budding senorita oyer
 
 the family carriage, accompanied by 8 maid who never loses sight of her till she is safely returned to the paternal casa-is looked upon as an alarming stretch of the proprieties. In the days of conventual in stitutions the daughters of well-to- do parents wer, universally placed in charge of the gen. tie sisterhood, generally entering the convent schools at an early age and remaining until old enough to marry. Since the banishment of nuns and monks from Mexico great many private schools and seminaries have been established, wherein girls are duly "fn- ished" according to Mexican ideas. The acme Of their accomplishments is to become good linguists and excellent musicians and to acquire smattering of history and gene ral literature, placing them about on par with the corresponding class in France and Spain. But they are never cultured to the Bostenian point in the classics or occult sci ences, their simple requirements being such as shine to best advantage in the home cir cls.
 Mexican ladies of high degree are never educated with view to utilizing their &C., complishments for gaining livelihood in any possible reverse of fortune, for under no circumstances are they expected to assist ln their own support. The old Spanish custom which obllges gentlemen tQ provide for all their destitute female relatives and to shield them absolutely from contact with the world still prevails among the upper classes, hot withstanding the fact that nesrly g century of foreign wars and internal revolutions has
 made it a difficult task in many instances and forever deDarred from matrimony the scions of proud but impoverished houses. As rule paterfanilias does not encourage much reading of books-exeept of reli- gious ehsracter-among the female members of his flock, and certainly not the general run of newspapers such as are found in eve. " northern family. He believes not only
 that "a little knowledge is a dangerous
 thing" and might lead to that perniciogs 'fstrong mindedness" which he imagines af- | ficts most ladies in the United States, but that literally Ignorance is bliss" in their